Bracket for mounting automobile bumpers



Feb. 20, 1923.

' L. F. STAFFORD.

BRACKET FOR moumme AUTOMOBILE BUMPERS. ORIGINAL FILED MAR. I7, I920-FIG.

i -ALE:

IIIIIIII INVENTOR L E STAFFORD.

ATT0RNEY5- LEWIS Patented Ell, l T

(10., 015 CHICAEG'O, 111L111.

and.

A T l It. STAFFORD, 01 CHICAErU, ILLIITDIS, ASSIGNQR TO STAFFORD SPRINGGUARD bl 61S, A CORPORATION OF ILLINGIS.

BRACKET FOR 18101133 31315: AUTOIVIOBILE BUMPER/S.

Original application filed March 17, 1920, Serial l lo. SBWLQ'B.

Divided and this application filed July 29,

1920, Serial so. 339,773. Renewed July 24, 1922. Serial no. 577,178. 7

[ ing is a specification.

This application is a division. of the up plication for United StatesLetters Patent filed by me March 17, 1920, under Serial Number 366,4:99,for improvements in a lilracket for mounting automobile bumpers, and hasspecial reference to means for attaching or securing the supporting armso l, a s ump; guard or bumper to the front portion of a inotor vehicle,The principal object of thepresent invention is to provide a structurethat is capable of being readily and easily assembled with the forwardem l portions of the sills of the chassis or other convenient portionofthe vehicle. Another.

, object of my invention resides in the ct that I haveprovideda bracketthativill cooperate with and may be attached to stock parts to be foundupon the type of vehicle known as the Overland Light Four, whereby themounting of the bracket and bumper in connection therewithrenders asecure and rigid structure that is not susceptibleto the vibration ofthe vehicle. Another object isthe provision ofa bumper attaching bracketthat requires no mechani cal operations or alterations of the parts forits attachment tothe vehicle. A still further objectis the provision ofa securing structure that comprises a minimum of parts so thatconsiderable expense and laboris eliminated both in assei'nbling thebumper with the bracket and in securing the stri'icture to the vehicle.

I prefer to accomplish the divers objectsof my invention insubstantially the manner hereinafter fully described, and as moreparticularlypointed out in the claims, reference being now had to theaccompanying dravvings that form a part of this specification, in whichFigure l is a transverse vertical section of a side-sill of a vehiclechassis showing my bracket in end elevation attached thereto and thebumper arm in section.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan of the structure illustrated in Figure 1. 1

Figure 3 is side elevation looking atthe attaching side of the bracketfor mounting a front guard or bumper.

By reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen theside-sill oflthe vehicle chassis comprises a piece of channel metal 5 ofsubstantially U-shape in crossscction that is disposed with the parallelflanges 6 and 7 in a horizontal plane and secured to the Web of thechannel in any suitable manner in an angle-metal piece 8 the Web whereofis substantially the height of the channels against Which it is placed,and has its single flange 9 positioned in the opposite direction to thelower flange 7 of channel 5. l A rectangular plate or base 10 is securedto the underside of flanges 7 and 9 by headed bolts 11, a-nd'oentrallyof said base is a vertically elongated socket 12 in which a pad orcushion 13 of rubber or similar material is held. The structure abovedescribed is that of the well-known Overland Light Four type of vehiclethe pad of rubber being for the purpose of receiving the impactin theevent the springs are so far compressed as to contact with the axle, andI have described this structure in detail because of the fact that thesestock parts of the vehicle are utilized by me in securing my improvedbracket to a chassis of this type. I l

The bracket I preferto employ insecuring the arms of the spring guard orbumper to the front portion of the chassis or vehicle consists of a castmetal plate 14 that is of substantially rectangular shape and issubstantially vertically disposed when in position upon the sill. Uponthe face of the plate farthest from the chassis structure I form alongitudinal rib 15 that provides a shelf or seat for the adjacent endportion of an arm 16 ofthe guard or bumper that is usually of strapmetal and which I prefer to set vertically upon the shelf or rib andflat against the adjacent face of the plate to which latter said arm issecured by means of rivets 17 or in any other desired manner.

From the face of the plate opposite the shelf or rib projects ahorizontally disposed lateral foot 18 that extends a distancelongitudinally of the plate and is reinforced and strengthened by abracing Web 19 inclined upwardly from the outer portion of the foottoward the upper edge of the plate. Spaced below the horizontal plane ofthis foot and preferably centrally of the plate is a block tures thethreaded ends of a J-shaped yoke.

or clip 23 are passed, while the curved con necting portion of the clippasses around thesegment of the socket that is unengaged by or'inopposite seat 21 in the block. It will be noted the space between foot18, and the upper face of block 2O ,is substantially the same as thethickness of flange 7 of the channel, and this space is adapted to ceivethis fiange'when the bracket is assembled-yon the sill. After thebracket is positioned on the flange of the sill with seat 21 of theblock against socket 12, the structure is clamped in place by nuts 24screwed on the threaded ends of the clip arms thus drawing the blocktightly against the socket and securing the bracket in a rigid position.

Thusit will be seen that the bracket cannot move longitudinally of thesill nor laterally thereof so thatthe guard or bumper arms carriedbyapair of brackets are securely andfrigidly connected to the vehicle,

and any impact received by the guard or plate, a block projecting fromsaid plate be-.

low said foot and the outer end of which block engages the element onsaid chassis frame, and a U-shaped clip the arms whereof engage saidplate and theconneeting portion of said clip surrounds the portion ofthe chassis element opposite said block.

2. A bracket for mounting a guard or bumper on a vehicle chassisconsisting of a plate, a foot on one face thereof, a block upon thelower portion of the plate below and spaced from said foot the outerportion of said block engageable with a lateral element of the chassis,and a U-shaped clip carried by said plate the connecting portion ofwhichclip surrounds and engages the portion of the chassis element oppositesaid block.

3. The combination with a chassis frame having sills of angular section,and a tubular stub projecting from the underside of said frame, ofbumper-securing means comprising a plate, a lateral foot on one face ofsaid plate, a block projecting from said plate, below said foot and theouter end of which block has a concave recess engaging a portion of thestub on the chassis frame, and a U-shaped clip the arms whereof engagesaid plate and the connecting portion of said clip surrounds the portionof the chassis element opposite said block.

l. A bracket for-mounting a guard or bumper on a vehicle chassisconsisting of a plate, a foot on one face thereof, a block upon thelower portion of theplate below. and spaced from said foot the outerportionof said block having a concave recess engageable with acorrespondingly shaped element projecting from the adjacent portion ofthe chassis, and a U-shaped clip carried by said plate the connectingportion of which slip surrounds and engages the portion of the chassiselement opposite said block.

The combination with a chassis frame having sills of angular section oneof the flanges being horizontally disposed at the lower edge of the silland alateral element whereof are connected to said plate and the outerportion of said clip surrounds the portion of the chassis elementopposite said block.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 23rd dayof July, 1920.

LEWIS STAFFORD.

